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Alcoholism Affects the Entire Family…Not Just the Alcoholic

Up to 1.3 million children in the UK are affected by parental alcohol problems (Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England (AHRSE), 2004).

How many people are involved in the life of any one alcoholic? Family, friends, employer, co-workers… It is important to remember that all these people are affected by alcoholism - not just the alcoholic. Many of them spend a lot of time and energy trying to ‘fix’ the alcoholic: covering up for them, punishing them, taking responsibility for them.

For over 50 years, Al-Anon Family Groups (including Alateen for younger members) has been providing help and hope to families and friends of alcoholics. In non-professional, mutual support meetings, members share their own experience, strength, and hope with one another to recover from the effects of alcoholism.

Living with alcoholism has been described as living on a merry-go-round, where each family member, friend, and employer plays a role with the alcoholics in their lives. A player can learn a new role in the ‘play’ by attending Al-Anon, gaining understanding of the disease of alcoholism and how it has affected them. When the non-misuser changes their behaviour, they are rewriting the script. There is no guarantee that the alcoholic will change, but the alternative is staying on the ‘merry-go-round’. Changing one’s behaviour can be uncomfortable and very difficult, but members learn that they have to take responsibility for themselves and their own recovery.

Whether the alcoholic is still drinking or not, all family members and friends are welcome in Al-Anon. When anyone in a family enters recovery, the family itself will begin to change.

Based upon the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-Anon Family Groups provides non-professional, free, and confidential support for families and friends of alcoholics. Parents, children, spouses, partners, friends, grandparents, and co-workers of problem drinkers can find hope and help in Al-Anon Family Groups. There are over 26,000 Al-Anon groups in 115 countries.

For more information about Al-Anon in your community, call 020 7403 0888 10am to 10pm daily or vsit our website www.al-anonuk.org.uk.